High-speed data services are increasingly performed by way of radio communication systems. Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development and deployment of radio communication systems that permit the communication of data at high communication throughput rates. And, with continued advancements in communication technologies, improvements to such systems permit the throughput rates to be yet further increased. Various high-speed data services, and their associated mechanisms of implementation, are undergoing development, standardization, and implementation. An exemplary data communication service, referred to as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) for GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) has achieved significant levels of deployment and usage. An extension to the general GPRS communication scheme, EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) is presently undergoing deployment. Data throughput rates achievable in an EDGE-capable system are significantly higher than those achievable in its predecessor GPRS system.
While EDGE-based communications permit data to be communicated at substantially higher data rates than its GPRS predecessor, data services are becoming, and anticipated to become even more so, data-intensive. There is a continuing need to find ways yet further to increase the data throughput capabilities of EDGE-based communications to facilitate the speedy communication of increasingly data-intensive data communication services that are to be implemented in an EDGE-based, or other high-speed, data communication system.
Existing EDGE standard promulgations define, amongst other things, the channel structure used pursuant to EDGE-based communications. Channels are defined upon multiple carriers. But, due to various requirements, effectuation of a single communication service using communication resources upon multiple carriers is presently unavailable due to constraints in the standard promulgation.
If a manner could be provided in a high-speed data radio communication system to utilize more fully available time-slot/carrier combinations to perform a communication service, increased data throughput rates and spectral utilization would be achievable. Such a manner would also require communication apparatus and methodology that is able to operate in a manner that permits communications to be carried out using the time-slot/carrier combinations, once made available.
It is in light of this background information that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.